PMP OR CAPM – WHICH IS BETTER?

 

Is PMP harder than CAPM?

 

CAPM Certification

It is a beginner-level certificate. You can take up CAPM if you want to start a career in project management. It is best suitable for applicants with less or no experience in this field. In addition, you will get better job opportunities and higher salary. Also, you will be examined on your skills and knowledge in project management topics, principles and methods.

 

In CAPM exam you have to mainly depend on your knowledge to pass it. However, to pass PMP you have to have practical experience in project management. In other words, PMP certificate is more suitable for people with experience. You will also gain knowledge and skills in leading and management projects.

 

Eligibility criteria for CAPM exam:

 

• You must have a secondary diploma or a high school diploma.
• You should get 23 hours of education on project management.

 

Anybody can begin their careers with CAPM certification exam. However, the applicants need to have at least 23 hours of training before taking up the exam. You can take up online courses to finish the 23 hours of training. You can choose any format for taking up the exam depending on your needs. To complete this training, you do not have put aside your career. However, you can also take up the 35 hours of PMP training instead. Also, the candidates won't have to put their professional career aside in order to acquire this certificate.

 

Take up CAPM Training from Experts and Get CAPM Certified

 

 

PMP Certification

 

Project Management Professional is the most popular certificate available in project management. The demand for PMP certificate is increasing everyday all over the world. You will be able to learn how to manage and lead the project effectively.

 

Eligibility criteria of PMP® exam:

 

• You must have a secondary degree or high school diploma.
• You need to achieve 7500 hours in leading and directing projects.
• Also 35 hours of education on project management is needed.

Or

• You must have a four-year degree.
• You need at least 4500 hours managing projects.
• It is a must to have 35 hours of education on project management.

 

You do not need a bachelor’s degree for PMP. However, the applicants with a four-year degree have an advantage. You need at least 1500 hours of training in CAPM but in PMP you need 7500 hours of training on leading and managing project. Similarly, the applicants with four years degree need only 4,500 hours of training. Also, you have to complete 35 hours of training in PMP. However, you must complete 23 hours of training in project management education in CAPM.

 

You have to pay around $225 for the CAPM exam registration if you are a PMI member. However, if you do not have a PMP membership, you must pay $300.

 

 For PMP exam you must pay around $400 with PMI membership. However, you do not have a PMI membership you must pay $555 for exam registration.  

 

Take up PMP training from Industry Experts and Get Certified

 

Difference between the PMP and CAPM exam:

 

CAPM Exam: You have to solve a total of 150 multiple choice-based questions within three hours. It a computer-based exam. It contains fifteen pretext questions which do not affect your final result.

 

PMP Exam: You have to solve a total of 200 questions within four hours. The questions given will be all multiple choice based. You will get a total of 24 pretext questions. It contains multiple choice-based questions.

 

You must read the PMBoK Guide thoroughly. Since most of the questions are asked from the PMBOK guide. However, you will not know the actual marks of any questions. You will also have no idea about which of the questions are pretext questions. Therefore, you must answer every question correctly.

           

CAPM Certification Exam Difficulty :

 

CAPM is an entry-level certification which provides opportunities for both beginners and professionals to enhance their skills and knowledge. So, it is considered less difficult than PMP certification exam. However, you might find both the exams a bit difficult. Since both of the exam require time and hard work for preparation. The PMBOK Guide is very important for the CAPM exam preparation. If you to get the CAPM certificate you must understand all the concepts and theories given in the PMBoK.

 

Difficulty level of PMP certification exam:

 

This exam is mainly suitable for applicants with experience considering its difficulty. In other words, you must gain enough experience in project management to get this certification. Practical experience is important in this exam. You must complete the entire PMBoK Guide to learn all the important concepts. You will also be examined on your capability to handle real-life projects.

 

Passing score of CAPM and PMP

 

There are no fixed passing marks for both of the exam. However, you can try to score above 75% in the practice exam to increase your confidence level. You will be able to improve your knowledge and understanding of the topics with practice exam. You can know your mistakes and your weakness. After that, you can work on strengthening your weak points.

CAPM Maintenance

CAPM is not a permanent certificate. Therefore, you have to renew it every five years. But the PMP certificate lasts for three years, after that you have to renew it.

Steps to renew the certification

Every certificate has a different method of renewal. You have to apply for a recertification after you reach the renewal date.

You have to renew the CAPM certification every five years by passing the exam again.

However, if you achieve a PMP certificate you do not have to retake the exam. You have to earn the professional development units to prove your dedication after every three years. You have to take up the continuing certification program to earn the PDUs needed.

In addition, after five years of gaining your CAPM certificate you will be able to gain a lot of experience. You can then apply for the PMP certification according to your choice. You can also choose take the CAPM exam again. However, it is a much better option to go for the PMP certification instead. In other words, if you want to expand your career in project management, PMP is an incredible choice.

Advantages of CAPM and PMP certification

You can stand out from the other newcomers in the project management field with the CAPM certification, other benefits of CAPM are given below:

• You will achieve recognition and respect within your company.
• It can help you to improve your confidence level.
• The career opportunities will be higher
• Achieving a path of success is possible with a strong foundation.

PMP certification also have many benefits that are given below:

• You can get respect from your company
• The PMP certified professionals receive higher salary than the non-certified project managers.
• This validates your skills and knowledge in managing, directing, and leading projects.
• You might receive higher job opportunities. Since it is a globally recognized certificate, you can gain job opportunities in different countries.

Both the certificates have some benefits to them. However, CAPM certification is not as well-recognized as the PMP. Also, the difference in the salary is not known. You can gain a better salary with a PMP certificate. You will also be able to lead a successful career after achieving a certificate.

Exam Content of PMP and CAPM

To prepare for the CAPM and PMP exam you can take help of the resources, study guides, and materials available. However, the best option will be to take up a training course. You can learn all the concepts related to project management with the training courses. It will also help you to increase your chances of passing the exam.

To completely prepare for the exam you require the PMBoK guide. Since most of the questions asked in the exam are from this book. In addition, you can take up practice exams to understand the concepts better. You will be able to find your mistakes and weak areas with the practice exam. You can also focus on strengthening the areas that are important for the exam.

Final Words

Both the certifications have great amount of materials to study from. However, the PMP certification is considered to be a bit difficult because it is based on your practical experience. Both of these certificates are important and beneficial for improving your career opportunities in this field.

If you have the needed experience for a PMP certificate then you can take up a training course. You will be able to improve your skills and learn extra skills. PMP certified experts are considered valuable for an industry. In addition, you can increase the productivity of a company with your project management skills.

You can display your skills and knowledge with these certifications. You will be able to get better job and higher salary. Also, you can lead a successful life since these certifications increase your value to the industry.

Finally, you must choose the certification based on your career level and needs. These certifications are highly recognized in the field of project management. You might need these certificates at different stages of your career.

Both PMP and CAPM certifications are accredited by PMI. To get started, you can take up CAPM training or PMP training. Be sure to take up training from an authorized training institute like Sprintzeal. It is a REP (Registered Education Provider) of PMI, the governing body. To get full details about PMP or CAPM training from Sprintzeal, chat with course experts.

Most Popular and High Paying Project Management Certifications:

 

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IS PMP BETTER THAN MBA?

 

PMP or MBA - which is better?

 

Popularity of project management jobs is on the rise. People are looking for stable and reliable jobs that will help them sail through the volatile times. Competition for jobs is endless. There are thousands of applications for a single job position.

As many people are losing their jobs to AI, job security has become an important concept. Stability and security are the primary reasons for popularity of project management jobs. If you learn project management, you will be able to apply for a job in any industry.

 

Benefits of project management jobs

 

There are no limitations in a project management job. You can apply for a job in many industries. From food to pharmaceuticals, every company needs a project manager. Therefore, a project management course will give you flexibility.

Along with all those advantages, you will also get a good salary. There are a lot of project managers who earn a significant amount. The high salary is one of the reasons why individuals prefer a project management job. Most of the top positions in a company are managerial posts.

For many people, MBA is the only option for learning project management. However, there are plenty of other options for management jobs. The Project Management Professional or PMP certification is a reliable and valuable certification for project management.

 

Why are people not interested in MBA?

 

The current business scenario is fast changing. Market conditions are volatile and job security is hard to get. In such a condition, it is advisable to get into project management. Project management will help you get a high-paying job in any company you want.

Although the traditional route to project management is an MBA, things are changing now. MBA is time-consuming and costly. If you don’t want to spend all your savings and apply for a study loan, you should consider PMP. PMP is faster, reliable, and cost effective.

The short duration of PMP certifications makes them the best option for project management. Further, many companies prefer PMP professionals over MBA graduates. Above all, you can save a lot of money and time by enrolling for a PMP certification.

 

What is PMP? – An overview

 

PMP certification is a globally accepted course for imparting quality training to individuals. It equips you with the basics of project management and prepares you for future jobs. In addition, a PMP certification is essential if you want to become a project manager.

The Project Management Institute handles PMP certifications and ensures its functioning. So, if you want to enhance your career in project management, it will help you a lot. Further, there are several domains that teach about business management. You will learn all of them and take an exam. If you pass it, you will become a PMP professional.

The study course of PMP involves the Project Management Body of Knowledge or PMBOK. It is a study guide for PMP exam. Anyone wishing to appear for the exam needs to be thorough with the book. So, you can treat the PMBOK as the official study guide for PMP exam.

 

PMP certification

The PMP certification will test your skills regarding various aspects of project management. In essence, you need to learn thoroughly about project management principles. Starting from project initiation to project execution, PMP certification will cover everything.

Project monitoring and project controlling form an important part of the PMP certification test. You will learn the basics as well as the important concepts of project management. PMP is the basic examination for anyone wishing to become a project manager.

Prerequisites of PMP certification

• You need to have a high school diploma degree or an associate’s degree.
• On top of that, a PMP certification requires you to have 7,500 hours of experience in managing projects.
• If you don’t have 7,500 hours of experience, you need to substitute that for 35 hours of management course.
• In addition, you need a regular degree in management.
• However, if you have a 4-years degree, you need to have 4,500 hours of experience.

PMP certification exam

The PMP certification exam is relatively easy. However, you need to prepare well for it. You need to answer 200 Multiple Choice Questions. Although all the questions are important, 25 of them don’t add to the marks. You can answer those 25 questions for weightage.

There are many sample questions that will help you understand the exam pattern. You can get them at the official site of the PMI or can download them online. Going through study guides will also help you go through the exam. PMBOK is the most important study material for PMP certification exam.

Exam pattern

From the 200 questions, 75% questions need to be correct. You need to get the minimum pass percentage to get the certification. It is not an open book test, so you need to prepare well for it. There will be no use of calculators during the test. Therefore, you need to practice well for the exam.

 

Take up PMP training from Industry Experts and Get Certified

 

What is MBA? – An overview

 

An MBA program will teach you the primary concepts of accounting, management, business studies, marketing, and business law. Also, it will make you aware of the business environments around the world. Moreover, you will focus on business planning, leadership, and business strategy. In essence, it is meant for future business leaders who want to make an impact with their managerial skills.

In essence, an MBA degree is a master’s in all the fundamentals of business management. Most universities provide MBA courses. There are millions of MBA graduates around the world. To get into an MBA course, you need to give an entrance exam. The entrance exam varies with the university. Some universities require you to score a high percentile in their exam. On the other hand, in several universities, you will get admission by simply passing the exam.

Prerequisites of MBA course

You need a bachelor’s degree in any stream. It is one of the biggest advantages of MBA. No matter which stream you are from, you can apply for an MBA. An MBA course lasts for two years. You need to pass several exams during those two years to finally get your certificate.

Advantages of PMP over MBA

There are several advantages of PMP over MBA. Here are some reasons why a PMP certification will be more beneficial than an MBA.

• PMP saves time

An MBA course is of 2 years. You need to set aside time from your job and higher studies to pursue an MBA. The same is not true for PMP. Moreover, you don’t have to stop what you are doing to pursue PMP. A PMP certification usually takes 3-5 months. It is a very short duration in comparison to an MBA. You can save a lot of time with a PMP certification and use it for other studies.

• Almost everyone has an MBA

In the USA alone, every one in three persons is an MBA graduate. The high number of MBA professional makes it difficult for you to secure a job. On the other hand, PMP has few professionals. PMP will let you apply for jobs that are industry-specific. Moreover, it is a new certification and there are few PMP professionals out there.

• MBA has a general course

If you want to excel at your job, you need to possess special skills. An MBA will only teach you general concepts of business management. If you want to learn specific skills, you need to do additional courses. On the other hand, PMP certification will teach you technical skills. You will learn project management in detail.

• PMP is cost-effective

The average fee for an MBA degree is $100,000. That’s a very large amount and is almost equal to the salary of a PMP professional. On the other hand, a PMP certification is cheaper. It costs around $2000 even after adding re-examination costs. The difference in fees is one of the reasons why a PMP certification is better than an MBA. PMP certification will also give you a bigger ROI. The salaries of PMP professionals usually are in six figures.

• PMP offers job security

There is a significant demand for PMP professionals. As there are few PMP professionals, companies are readily agreeing to pay more for them. On the other hand, an MBA certificate will not give you the same job security. There will always be a fear about losing your job. In addition, you will gain expertise through a PMP certification. The expertise is not possible through an MBA.

In conclusion, a PMP certificate will be valuable for you in the long run. It will add value to your resume and make you job-ready. Moreover, you will learn all the essential skills of project management. As a result, you will increase the rate of your project becoming successful.

If you’re interested in getting PMP certification, make sure you take up PMP training from an authorized training institute like Sprintzeal. It is a REP (Registered Education Provider) of PMI, the governing body. To get full details about PMP training from Sprintzeal, chat with course experts.

 

Get PMP training and Get Certified – Online, Live Online, and Classroom Training

 

 Most Popular and High Paying Project Management Certifications:

 

PMP® Certification

PRINCE2® Foundation

CAPM® Certified Associate Project Management

PRINCE2® Practitioner

PRINCE2® Foundation Practitioner

PgMP® Exam Prep training

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WHAT IS PROJECT MANAGEMENT?

 

Introduction to Project Management

 

Dealing with a project is no essential accomplishment, paying little notice to the scale and extension. As many people are losing their jobs to AI, job security has become an important concept. In essence, stability and security are the primary reasons for the popularity of project management jobs. Moreover, if you learn project management, you will be able to apply for a job in any industry.

Precisely when you separate the project into reasonable stages, each with its objectives and wants, it is less intricate to control the project and the possibility of the yield. Project management can involve a little project with unassuming business targets or a gigantic, multi-departmental development with clearing corporate repercussions. A view of the project management life cycle is fundamental.

Project management is just settled on the probability that a project experiences various stages. Projects have limitations like the project's cost, time taken, and assets required.

 

Project Management Stages

 

A part of the critical aptitudes to have as a project manager is to fuse bunch management, trade, affiliation, peril management, and correspondence.

Consider the capacities that you have and which ones you should change to transform into an exceptional project manager. You'll see that learning and creating at work can make you an impressive project manager and help you in various life processes.

The five stages or times of project management join the beginning, organizing, execution, watching, and project end. The Project Management Institute, or prominent as the PMI, from the beginning, developed these five Stages.

Beginning Stage:

The project upholds, and other colossal colleagues due dependably pick whether to concentrate on a project. Subordinate upon the opportunity of the project; possibility considers are driven. Or then again, as it may require, in an IT project where there is a need to get together. In others, a project favor is done in this stage.

Organizing Stage:

A project management plan develops with individual structures for cost, scope, length, quality, correspondence, peril, and resources. A blueprint for supervising obvious and unidentified threats settles as this may influence portions of a project later on. Danger management masterminding includes peril seeing evidence and appraisal, chance alleviation approaches, and hazard response design.

Execution Stage:

A project deliverable follows the route toward holding quick to a plot plan. During this stage, a tremendous proportion of endeavors get project evaluations through tasks like status get-togethers and project sees, different status reports, human resource needs, and execution reports. This is a colossal stage, as it will help you with understanding whether your project will fail or not.

Checking and Control Stage:

It oversees studying the project execution and progression in consent to the project plan. Degree affirmation and control happen to check, screen for scope creep and change control to follow and supervise project needs. Finding key execution markers for cost and time is done to check the degree of course of action. To destroy project disappointment, consider why projects are likely going to miss the mark and the ways to deal with losses.

 

Important concepts of project management are covered in PMP training that helps project management professionals get PMP certification from PMI – Project Management Institute, the governing body.

 

Get PMP Certification Training - Online, Live Online and Classroom Training 

 

Importance of Project Management

 

Project management incorporates characterizing targets and making plans to achieve them. Working as a project manager requires orchestrating, sifting through, controlling, and coordinating quality control. If you're considering a calling a project manager, consider the going with ten project management preferences that you will appreciate.

1. Opportunity to work in various industries:

You will get countless opportunities to work in one industry as a project manager. In addition, you will also get access to associations. You can use your capacities to find work in an industry that better suits your tendencies.

2. Have a better sense of job security:

When starting in this field, you may need to start as a teammate. As you become an unquestionable project manager, more doors will open for you.

Project managers are in demand when the economy is prospering.

This is incredibly obvious in the biotech and advancement organizations. Moreover, on the off chance that you're looking for positions in these fields, you'll see that there are heaps of associations requiring project managers to help with their projects.

3. Get a lucrative salary:

The overall pay is $90,260. Individuals who achieve their PMP affirmation will get $10,000 more than others. The center compensation in the United States is over $69,000. The most liberal industry is generally Information Technology. Project managers who work in the IT field make about $108,000.

4. Welcome various project management activities:

Project managers get the chance to work on piles of different projects. Moreover, each one gives different incites that push you to change and adjust your point of view. Further, it would be best if you focus on arranging overseeing delegates and organizing resources. The action will make you stay cautious.

5. Collaborate with various employees and handle the work ethics:

Project managers are the pioneers of the gathering. Along these lines, you need to have the alternative to help others as you collaborate on projects. in addition, it will improve your overall experience. As a result, you will build a close network of business associates.

6. Expect responsibility of the project:

While completing a project, there are lots of complications that you need to consider. You ought to have the choice to see the project from start to finish. Also, you need to tend to the necessities of everyone. As the pioneer of the gathering, the total  obligation to complete the project falls on you. In addition, you will start valuing project management and devise various plans.

7. Use your skills of leadership to carry forward the project and the team:

As a project manager, you need to join your partners. You need to understand what their characteristics are and how they can help completing the project. It's also necessary to consider how you can bring in the partners. If you have the skills to be a manager, then project management will be good for you.

8. Continue to excel with your skills and learn more:

Part of getting a charge out of a variety of activities at work incorporates learning new things. To keep consistent over your field, you need to get some answers concerning the business's new developments. As a PMI part, you access professional improvement openings. You can get some answers concerning new programming and projects that can help you sufficiently achieve your targets.

9. Deal with your problem and find a solution to them:

As a project manager, you will be dependent on dealing with complex issues every day. You need to understand how to amass the pieces and achieve your destinations.

10. Get the necessary recognition for your work:

On occasion, it feels incredible to get that salutary motion for work all around done. It feels extraordinary to get apparent for the whole of your troublesome work. As a project manager, you will have days when you don't confirm your troublesome work.

 

Project Management Career Options

 

To start a career in project management you need a certification. A certification will essentially help you validate your skills. As a result, your employers will understand that you are capable to manage the business projects. In essence, a project management certification will add value to your resume and help you get a job as a project manager.

There are many certifications for project management. One of the oldest certifications is PMP. It is the best certification and will help you understand the basics of project management. PMP has an easy exam with a high pass rate. As a result, you can complete the exam without any difficulty.

Other than that, there are other certifications like PMI ACP. It teaches you the principles of agile practices. In addition, it also makes you aware of the volatile business environment. Apart from that, there are many other certifications like ITIL and Six Sigma.

All the project management certifications will help you understand project management better. They will teach you the basic principles and help you learn special skills.

 

Conclusion:

 

Project management is the convincing execution concerning aptitudes, rules, comprehension, and data to accomplish a specific project inspiration driving a business. Moreover, it has a mentioning cutoff time close to a spending limit. Project management is fundamentally more than a few difficulties to achieve business objectives.

A project has various controls. It merges an advancement of critical tasks, such as passing on the thing, directing resources, repaying accomplices, and the formal culmination of complete laborers.

Get-togethers close a project when they give the final project to the client, acquainting fulfillment with partners, and passing on different projects' central focuses. This stage watches out for the final project. Definitive experts work unequivocally on the project to help it become successful.

To get full details about the best project management certifications, chat with course expert. 

 

Suggested Read – Best Project Management Certifications in 2020

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE TO USE IN 2020

Top 20 Project Management Software to Use in 2020

 

Project Management Software Overview

 

The ever increasing growth in information technology has led to the establishment of multinational organizations where people from all over the world work as a team towards a common goal. However, due to the social and ethical differences of people from different parts of the world, despite having a common working language, communication can be an organization's biggest obstacle to success. In your good day, managing multiple projects can be a daunting task whereas on certain days it can become impossible if any unforeseen problem comes through your way.

Difficulty in communication in your project management leads to confusion and creates stressful experiences for your employees, and affects the common goal of the organization. Therefore, to deal with these problems, various software for project management has been developed to keep your company on track without creating chaos, along with streamlining your process and keeping all the employees on the same frequency.

 

What is Project Management Software?

 

Project Management Software in simple terms is software management systems used for project planning by various industries. It is also used for resource allocation and project scheduling which helps project managers and their team for budget control, project exchanged documentation and quality management.

It serves project managers and their teams to collectively complete their task on schedule along with managing resources and cost.

The functions of Project Manager Software include time tracking, resource planning, task distribution, team collaboration, budgeting, etc.

It is also referred to as Project Portfolio Management (PPM) or Task management software.

Project Management Software assists project managers and teams to fulfill client’s requirements. There are a lot of useful software available and selecting the right tool can lead to confusion as individuals may not know where to begin.

Most of the companies related to different industries make use of online project management software which is based on cloud technology and is provided as software as a service (SaaS) by application service providers (ASP). These project manager apps nowadays are progressing beyond expectations and expanding their functions with their feature combinations which makes it difficult for any online project planner to select any particular Project Software.

While managing and running projects, there are many things to be taken under consideration right from managing resources to tracking deliverables and from collaboration with team members to budget management.

For choosing the right software, the above holds true as well. Below given are 20 free project management software for windows and Project Management Software reviews that are valuable in completing any kind of project which will help you to compare Project management software and select the best amongst them.

 

Most Popular Project Management Certification: PMP® Certification

 

List of Best Project Management Software 

 

1. Project.co Project Management Software

 

Project.co Overview:

Project.co is a project management online software that is a system of client-facing project management and is really good at connecting you and your team with your client's team in one place. Every part of your work is capable of being set up as its own project with its own discussion feed, team, task, payments, and notes. Available project views and tasks such as scheduler, kanban, and calendar view will provide you with an ideal view that’s happening within your team. The time spent on each project can also be recorded.

Project.co Features:

• Ability to add or invite both the internal and external users really quickly.
• Task views can be filtered providing you with the task list of every individual, department, or the whole team.
• Able to securely and quickly accept card payments through the project management system by integrating payment solutions.
• Each project has its own discussion feed with email alerts with the facility of replying by email without logging in.
• Reporting tools that have the capability of measuring your most or least profitable and efficient projects.

Project.co Cost:

This project control software is free for five internal users and up to five active projects, after which the paid options start with $7 per user per month.

 

2. Basecamp Project Management Software

 

Basecamp Overview:

Basecamp is a top project management software which is widely popular within project management teams. It consists of collaboration features like designated areas for discussion where the user can leave comments. It also helps to find any item or conversation by using its powerful search tool along with a recap of the updates and status of the project your team is working on.

Few drawbacks are that it does not include customization options and milestones, cannot assign tasks to more than one user, or add an estimation duration for the task.

 

Basecamp Features:

 

• Create a place in Basecamp for each project or team.
• Involves everyone who is working on the project.
• Provides dedicated project management tools to discuss plan works, give status updates, ask questions, share files, etc.
• Reflects what happened when no meetings were conducted.

 

Basecamp Cost:

For students and teachers, it’s a free project management software, but for the business purpose, it will cost $99 per month.

 

High Paying Project Management Certifications:

PRINCE2® Foundation

PRINCE2® Practitioner

PRINCE2® Foundation Practitioner

 

 

3. ProofHub Project Management Software

 

ProofHub Overview:

PrrofHub is an online Project Management tool